


Flowers in the Snow

by MsJojo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-25 17:41:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17125838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsJojo/pseuds/MsJojo
Summary: Dean did not plan his christmas to be this way. Snowed in with a total stranger and his two creepy cats.But destiny has a funny way of bringing people together, especially when one of the two people has it's hands in the bowl.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo my very first fanfic and of course I have to write it in english (I'm not native) so please don't be too hard on me.  
> This is a gift for thesewingskeepmesave, my SPN Secret Santa receiver of 2018!  
> I really hope you enjoy this and that you have to great Holiday! <3

_"Oh the Weather outside is frightful..."_

He could barely even see his own headlights in front of his car.

_"But the fire is so delightful..."_

Honestly, why did he even agree to this?

_"And since we have nowhere to go..."_

Well he knew exactly, because he couldn’t stomach the thought of his little niece’s voice being all watery and shit on the phone, while her favourite uncle told her that she had to celebrate Christmas without him. And without her present.

_"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."_

Nowhere to go his ass. Let it snow his ass.  
He would turn his radio off or change the station, if he would not fear to lose control over his car. He was lucky that nobody else was stupid enough to drive, in the thick ass snowstorm right now.  
As his too cheery host declared the third cover of "Last Christmas" in the last thirty minutes, he decided that it wasn't worth it. He would take the next exit and wait, 'till the storm wasn't as heavy anymore. His car was not made for this kind of weather.  
Sam would also rip his head off, when he found out that Dean had cancelled his flight ticket, to drive with her.  
Flight or car, in this weather he was bound to arrive later than expected.  
He took the next exit and could not even read which town it was. He just hoped they had a Diner that was still open one day before Christmas. And pecan pie.

Aaaaand seemed like he had no luck.  
Again.  
He drove fifteen minutes through, what seemed to be suburbia, just houses and no shops, let alone a Diner or Hotel.  
He was almost through the town, when he saw a little café with the lights still on. All the shops surrounding it were black. It seemed like a beacon in the white hell he had driven through the last two hours.  
He parked his Baby in front and sprinted to the door. "Last Christmas" and the smell of coffee greeted him.  
Awesome he thought, half sarcastic.  
"Hello?", he shouted and took stock of surroundings.  
The room was small, barely eight tables had place in it. The tables and stools where mismatched and looked old, definitely second hand. There was a huge shelf, filled with books and board games on one side of the room. On top of the bookshelf, the tables and almost in every corner of the room was green stuff.  
Cacti, hanging plants and he also spotted some blooming stuff he didn't knew the name of.  
The counter also looked almost antique. There was an old cash register standing on top and a fully automatic coffee machine. No baked goods anywhere in sight. Dean sighed sadly, when the door behind the counter opened up and a man entered the café area.  
His blue eyes looked surprised as he drove a hand through his gray hair. He caught himself easily enough though and put on a customer friendly smile. "Hi there", his gravelly voice would have vibrated through Deans bones, would he stand close enough to him, "What can I help you with?"  
Dean hurried over the counter, hoping to get his hands on a warm cup of coffee rather sooner than later. "Kinda got caught up in the snow out there, so I hoped to wait here for a couple of minutes for it to thin out. I hope I am not intruding?"  
"Well the crusts can wait a few minutes I suppose", the man laughed and Dean realized that his hair wasn't gray but full of flour which made the dark brown locks appear so. Now that he was standing closer, Dean realized that the man could not be much older than himself, if not the same age. "Coffee?", the man asked, while he already turned to the machine.  
"Please!", Dean sighed and grabbed his wallet.  
The man waved him off. "The first one is on the house. Can't let you freeze to death." Well, Dean was never a man to say no to a free coffee. Especially when it came from a handsome man like that.  
"So what brings you into a storm like that?"  
"Family of course", Dean sighed, as he sat on a table nearest to the counter, "This year is Christmas at my brothers house and I still got half a day ride to there."  
"That's a long way to drive! How long are you on your way already?"  
"Like... twenty seven hours already? Not counting my stay over at the motel three towns over."  
The barista, and most likely café owner, eyed him like he was crazy. Which was not a look Dean wasn't accustomed to.  
"I hate flying." He declared, already knowing the next question. "Which", he reminded himself, "I really should call my brother and tell him that I'm going to be late."

He pulled out his phone and saw that Sam had tried to call him already. He hit the phone back and had to wait just a few rings before he heard his Moose of a brother screaming at him.  
"Mind to tell me why I got your flight money booked back on my credit card?"  
Dean sighed: "Hello to you too Sammy."  
"Deeee, when are you here?", the shrill voice of his niece pierced through the background.  
"Yes De, when are you planning on arriving?", his brother asked in an ice cold voice, "You know, if you don't k-i-l-l yourself on your drive over here."  
"You know I hate flying Sammy. And if I had took the plane today, I bet it would be delayed. Have you seen how the weather is up here?"  
"Which is why I bought you the Ticket. Because I had hoped that you would not find a way out of this this time. But I guess I was mistaken, wasn’t I?"  
He absolutely hates this tone. "You sound just like Dad", Dean grunted, mostly because he knew how much Sam hated to be compared to their Dad.  
"I just hoped that you would be responsible for one time in your life!" Yep, he pushed the right button.  
"You know what Sam?", Dean raised his voice.  
He heard the closing of a door in the background. Sam most likely didn’t want his daughter overhearing the brothers’ argument. "I know that I will celebrate Christmas with my family, not giving a shit if you drive yourself of the road in a storm like this. Seriously Dean, even if your flight would have gotten delayed, I at least would not fear for your life, knowing that you're safe and sound in a Hotel near the airport. Where even are you?"  
"I don't fucking know. Sitting in a café somewhere in nowhere right now. I'm like twelve hours away from you guys."  
"Promise me to sit tight for the rest of the storm. I don't want to tell Mary that her Uncle killed himself on fucking Christmas."  
"I don't even know if this place has a motel, honestly." Dean apparently just loved to dig his own grave.  
"You know", Sam sighed, "Sometimes I just fucking hate how much I love your guts. Stay fucking safe, for once in your life, okay?"  
"Yeah yeah. Love you too Bitch. Give Mary a Kiss from me."  
"None for Gabe, you Jerk?"  
"Fuck you."

Dean hung up the phone. "Sorry for that", he told the guy behind the counter, who had slid him a steaming mug full of brown ambrosia on the table, during his phone call.  
"Oh, that's no problem, really. This town really is a shithole. With no Motel."  
The bluntness pressed a laugh from Dean. "Well, fuck me then. Guess I have to try not to 'kill myself', as my brother put it so lovely."  
"Drink up first. You'll need the steam to keep you running."  
Well, he had not to tell Dean twice. "So", Dean asked after taking a sip, "How come you’re not closed, like everybody else?"  
"No one to go home to like you. Don't look at me like this, it's not that tragic. I've got company."  
"Well yes, for now, but I really do have to get a move on after this cup, if I want to reach the next city with Motel."  
"I'm not talking about you", the barista said deadpan and pointed at the top of the bookshelf. Dean squinted and nearly fell of his stool when two yellow eyes suddenly blinked at him.  
"I did not see her. What's her name?"  
The man walked over and reached up. The black cat jumped right into his arms. "That's Tabitha", he said while cuddling the furball in his arms, "And this", he introduced when another calico cat jumped from the shelves onto his shoulders, "is Mojo."  
His balance was impressive. Dean would have surely dropped both of the cats, would they just jump him like this.  
"Guys", the man walked over to Dean’s table after Mojo had draped himself over his shoulders, "This is Dean. Dean, Mojo and Tabitha."  
Tabitha slid down on the table and sniffed on Dean’s coffee. "Well that's just rude Tabitha. That is not your cup."  
Dean was not sure which should unnerve him more: his cat allergies, the way the man talked to his cat as if they were people, or the fact that he had not introduced himself to the man with his name.  
Well, he supposed Sammy’s screaming would have been loud enough in this quiet room that the guy could have picked it up, even though Deans phone was not on speaker at the time.  
"I actually haven't caught your name buddy", he asked, still a little bit suspicious.  
"Well I suppose you did not stop to read the name of my café", the guy chuckled and opened up his arms, as far as he could with the cat still over his shoulders, "Welcome to Cassie’s Café. Where the coffee is hot, the pies are fresh and available every day of the year!"  
Dean perked up. "You got pie dude?"  
Cassie’s stance faltered a little bit and he frowned. "Well I was in the middle of making them when you came in so I guess they are actually not available at the moment."  
"You should rethink your slogan then", Dean said- just a tad disgruntled.  
"Tell you what", Cassie said, "You drop by on your way back from your brother and you get a slice on the house. Can't risk my reputation."  
"Pecan?", Dean asked.  
"I actually won prizes for my pecan pie, so it would have gotten you this one anyway. You know, for redeeming myself to you."  
Dean was not sure if he was picking the dudes vibe up right. For him it seemed a lot like Cassie would want to see him again. And if that was true, he made it pretty damn easy for Dean to return with this kind of promises. As it had been with his now mostly empty coffee, Dean did not like to look in a gifted horse’s mouth.  
"Well, we'll see after New Years then. For the moment, you got a refill To Go? Seems like the snow got a little bit better and I really have to hit the road. After I hit your restroom, that is."  
"No problem, the toilettes are back there, behind the plant. I'll get you another one."

Even the man’s restroom was full of plants. He actually recognized one of them, the good-smelling-purple-stuff, he called it in his mind, because he always forgot its fucking name.  
He kind of expected a number on the side of his paper cup that Cassie slid over to him, but was not too disappointed at not finding one. He could still come back for the pie offer and try his chances again. Right now all he wanted to do was get in his Baby and the nearest Motel on the way.  
He slid a couple of dollars over the counter. "Thanks man. I'll take you up on the pie next year."  
"You're welcome Dean. Happy Holidays for you and your family."  
Dean gave him his best grin and waved. "For you three too."  
The storm actually had thinned out. Which would have been nice, had it not totally covered his car in snow. Instead of his black gleaming Chevy, there was just a huge mountain of fucking white.  
Cassie looked on his wrist- where he  **was not**  wearing a watch- and frowned: "Is it New Years already?"  
"Funny", Dean deadpanned, "You did not happen to have a shovel lying around here?"  
"Your cars snowed in?"  
"How did you guess." Dean knew he wasn't being nice, but give him a break, this was a pretty shitty situation he got himself in here.  
"Would not have happened if you would have just taken the flight."  
He could hear his brother’s glee through the phone. "Oh shut your piehole, would ya'? Unless you have any idea how to solve this, you can be still."  
"Well I might actually have a plan. What if you would just catch a flight? Look, I even sent you a ticket via e-mail. Paid and everything. Oh wait, I did that, but you cancelled it and drove your car through a fucking snowstorm."  
"Alright, guess I just sleep and the street and fucking die right here and now. Thanks a lot Sam!" Dean hung up on his brother rubbed his eyes.  
"That sounded pleasant", the owner of the café sat on his counter, cat purring on his lap.  
"Well, he always thinks he knows what’s best for me. Brothers, right?"  
"I would not know", Cassie sled of the counter, "But I know that you don't have to build an Igloo tonight. You can sleep at mines."  
"Oh no, I could not take you up on that." He would have, if there had been a number on the cup that he was still holding in his hand. He also would have, if he was trying to score something tonight, but he was too pissed off about the whole situation right now.  
"So what will you do then?", Cassie asked and dammit, he was right, "I don't think you have a lot of options right now and I will certainly not let you freeze to death."  
Dean sighed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone calls and bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was already informed by my giftee that I have errors.  
> Oh well xD Hope you enjoy the second part of your gift <3

Turned out, Cassie had even more plants in the little flat over the café than down in the café itself. The furniture also was more run down than down there. And there were even more books. Less board games though.  
But even if it was a little bit tacky, and a little bit overstuffed, it kinda felt... homey.  
"This is the kitchen, this is the living room - don't worry, we can expand the couch- and this is the bathroom", Cassie pointed and waved Dean to follow him, "Sit down, I'm making us a tea."  
"Thanks, but I'm not really a fan of leaf water."  
"Well you had enough coffee already, I don't have any coco and you need something warm. So I think you'll have no other choice."  
"Mh, bossy", Dean muttered and ran a hand over the wooden table he sat on. It was warm and he was imagining it vibrating under is hand, like the voice of the barista vibrated through his chest.  
"You like it", Cassie grinned and threw a couple of dried thing from various jars into a pot.  
Dean could feel his ears beginning to warm up, "Yeah and you... like... being bossy." He hated when he got tongue tied. "What kind of name is Cassie even?", he shot back at him.  
"A nickname", Cassie said as he set the water on the stove, "Castiel is kind of a mouthful for most folks."  
"Casteel", Dean tried the name.  
"Cas-ti-el", Cassie corrected, "It's an angelic name."  
"Were your parents religious?"  
"As far as I know, no. But the nuns at the orphanage were."  
Aaaand his ears got even hotter. "Oh, that sucks."  
Castiel smiled and put the kettle on the table. "It wasn't that bad. Can't miss what you never had. I was brought to them on a Thursday, and Castiel is the angel of Thursdays, so they named me after him."  
"Well I suppose you're right. The missing part, I mean. I remember, when I was little I sometimes got jealous at Sammy, because he did not know our mother that well, so he never seemed to miss her as much as I did. She died when he was very young." Dean did not know why he said that. He normally never talked about his mom, especially not with strange men he did not even know more than an hour.  
Castiel lightly touched his hand. "I'm sorry Dean, that must have been horrible."  
"Well yeah", Dean muttered, "But that was a long time ago. We did pretty well I guess. Sammy at least is a great man. Got his career, got his man, beautiful daughter. House with a picket fence, dog and all."  
"What about you Dean?", Castiel pushed the steaming mug closer to him, "Are you doing well for yourself too? Someone waiting for you back home?"  
The tea did not smell half bad. Dean took a sip and hummed. Herby and fruity at the same time, strong flavour and a hint of sweetness. "This is not too bad", he praised, "Nah, I've got no one. My job is kinda time consuming. Not much time to find the one you know."  
"What are you doing for a living?"  
"I'm a firefighter actually."  
"Fitting."  
"You think?"  
"Yeah, I mean after what happened to your mom. I'm actually impressed that you fought your fear of fire so well, that you're now fighting it itself. You also seem the kind of man who saves people."  
"Well, that actually happens not that often. It's more about preventing to have to pull people out of fires. But of course it happens sometimes. Sammy always hated my job. He loves nagging me about it though."  
"He wants to keep you safe. Family worries about you, I’ve heard."  
Dean laughed. "Yeah, I guess. So, how did you land here?"  
"Oh", Castiel sat back and stretched a little bit. Dean could see a slice of naked skin as is shirt ran up. "I travelled around a lot, after I turned eighteen and had to leave the orphanage. And once I got here it just felt... I don't know, I guess it felt like home. It's peaceful here. You know your neighbours. Well I don't have many, but you know the people that come in. I'm also in the gardening club and all the folks are super nice. Community is strong here. I didn't plan on staying here, but it kinda happened. I worked at the café as a baker and the former owner let me live here. This was actually the holiday home for his son, but his son died a couple of years ago. After that he always wanted to leave the city, but didn't want to abandon the café. So I took over. God knows where he is now. I hope he found his peace." Castiel looked wistfully in his mug, before he seemingly caught himself. "I actually have to finish up the pies downstairs. You can make yourself at home, or you can come and help me. I don't care either way."  
Dean was feeling a little dizzy after the rant. "Nah, I'm good. Don't want to intrude your working space too. I would totally mess up your pies. Besides, it's not really redeeming yourself when I have to work for it."  
Castiel laughed. "Alright then. You can keep Mojo and Tabitha company then. Don't feed them, even if they cry. They are already fed, they just like to act up. You can just grab a book. If you want something to eat, the fridge is over there."  
"Thanks Cas. I mean it."  
Castiel looked a little bit taken back by the new nickname, but his smile was warm.

After that Dean was left alone in a flat he did not know, of a man he did not know, with his cats who watched him with their creepy all knowing eyes.  
"Well, guess I have to call Sam again and tell him that I'm not dying tonight."  
Tabitha blinked at him.  
He sighed and faced his destiny.  
"Hi Sammy."  
"Don't you 'Sammy' me."  
"I'm sorry, alright. Geez. I'm sorry."  
"You know I always have to worry about you Dean. It's kind of taxing on me."  
"Well don't worry then. The guy who owns the café lets me sleep at his, so I'm sound and safe."  
"Sound and safe in the house of a man you don't even know and who could be a psychopath. You're like a teenager sometimes, do you know that."  
"Well someday Mary will get to that point too. I'm preparing you. And Cas is a good guy. His cats are a little creepy, but all cats are so." Mojo decided in that moment to rub against Dean’s leg. Hesitantly he began to stroke his back and was kind of surprised by the warm feeling his purring made in Dean’s chest.  
"Do you think you can make it till Christmas Eve? Heard the storm is picking up again tonight."  
Dean sighed: "I'm doing the best I can. You know I don't want to miss out."  
"Just don't get the stupid idea to walk the rest, jerk."  
"You know, I don't actually want to die, right? Hey, is Mary still up?"  
"Yeah, let me get here for you. Maymay, uncle Dean wants to talk to you!"  
Dean heard little footsteps running through the house and the shrieking "Deeeeee" from his little niece.  
"Uncle De, uncle De, Pappa said that Santa might bring me the wand I had wanted for my birthday!"  
"The one that lights up?", Dean smiled. He loved the little one. He just wished he could see her more often. He hated missing out on her life. "Seems like you're growing up to be a little witch."  
"I made a flower bloom in the garden the other day", she loud whispered, as if it was a great secret she didn't want her fathers to know.  
"You did? But it is freezing out there!" Most likely, Ruth raided Gabe’s vase again and Mary just found a flower from the store in the garden. "You must be very powerful."  
Mary giggled proudly. "I promise not to curse you De."  
"Well I'm very glad about that. Promise to use your powers for good only!"  
"I promise. Uncle De, when are you coming? You promised to help me catch Santa this year."  
Dean sighed. "I don't know yet honey. I'm stuck in this city, because of the snow. But I'm with a really nice man. Do you want to know how many cats he has?"  
"How many cats does he have?"  
"Two!", Dean declared, as if this was an impressive number. Mary, of course, agreed that this where sooo much cats and promptly asked her father if they could have two dogs.  
"Absolutlely not. Ruth and you are already a handful, I don't need another one messing around in here", Dean heard Gabe, Sam’s husband.  
"But Uncle De said the man he's staying with has two cats. Why can't I have two pets?"  
"You see honey, cats are so much smaller than dogs. So two cats really are just one large dog", Dean explained, trying to defuse the bomb that his brother-in-law already was for him.  
"Oh I see. Then it's okay."  
"Do you want to give me back to your Pappa? I have to say bye to him still."  
"Okay. I miss you Uncle De."  
"Miss you too bug. I love you."  
"Love you too. Pappa, for you!"  
"Thank you Maymay. Did she tell you about the flower she brought back to life?"  
Dean chuckled. "Was it one of Gabe’s store bought?"  
"No actually", he heard Sam’s hesitation, "It was growing out of the ground. Don't know where it came from or how it survived the cold though. Never seen it in our yard before."  
"You know the wind carries that stuff. Maybe it's just something blooming in winter. Like pine trees and shit like that. I could ask Cas for you. His whole place is stuffed with plants."  
"Yeah, you're right. It was just kinda freaky."  
"Forget about it Dude. I hope you're not right about the storm by the way. I really miss the little one."  
"She misses you too. We all miss you, you know."  
"I know Sammy, miss you too. Even Gabe sometimes, but don't tell him."  
"You know, you could move here..."  
"Let's not have this conversation again, okay? I'm not ready to fight this soon again."  
"Okay Jerk, I'm keeping it for when you are here."  
"Yeah, you do that Bitch. Bye."

After he hung up he actually felt better. Dean hated to argue with his brother, but sadly they did it often enough.  
He jolted, when Tabitha decided to meow loudly in front of her bowl. "Nah, you can't trick me. Cas warned me about this." But he actually felt a little hungry himself. Which wasn't a surprise, when you realized that the last meal he had was twelve hours ago.  
"Well, I'm not allowed to feed you, but I might as well feed your owner, since he has been so nice to me." Yeah, that was a good idea. Cas really deserved a nice dinner, after letting Dean stay with him.  
His fridge was a little bit too green for Dean's taste, but he would make do. The meat was frozen, of course, but Dean made it a nice warm bath in the sink, so it could defrost a little bit faster.  
"Yeast, yeast, yeast. Do you have any yeast?" Cas had, funny enough. "Well I mean, he  _is_  a baker apparently", Dean muttered to himself, while he rummaged through the shelves, trying to find everything he needed for one of his mean burgers. Cas even had some avocados, which would make for a nice Guac as burger sauce. Some of the things in his shelves where a little bit strange though.  
"Who needs this many herbs. You can love tea just so much. Your owner is a funny one." Great, now he was talking to the cats like they were people too. Well, it was better than talking to yourself the whole time.  
It took decades to find a bowl and he didn't think the one he was using for making his brioche buns was meant for kneading dough- it was bronze? And it smelled funny- but Cas made his baked goods in the cafés kitchen he guessed. He must have a great oven down there.

When Castiel came back upstairs his hair was covered in flour again and he wore a pink apron which had red stains on it. Most likely from cherries or strawberries.  
"Dude, seriously?" Dean pointed at the pink apron.  
"I was a teenager and didn't know I wasn't supposed to mix whites and reds. Are you cooking?" Castiel eyed the prepared dishes. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the bronze bowl on the counter. "Did you make your own buns?"  
"Just the best for a Winchester burger!" Dean declared proud and spread the Guacamole on one of the still warm burger buns.  
"Did you... use that bowl?"  
"Yeah, I couldn't find anything else. Keeping all the baking stuff downstairs?"  
"Yeah... usually", Castiel took the bowl and began to rinse it out carefully, "I use this for... hot things. It's nice of you to cook."  
"Least I can do", Dean smiled and set down the burgers, "Hope I didn't mess up your cooking list for the next days."  
"Well I wanted to make a ratatouille with the tomatoes, but I can adapt. The pies are cooling down, so they will be perfect for dessert."  
"That's what I wanted to hear!" Dean beamed and sat down across from Castiel. "Now dig in!"  
He watched as Castiel took his first bite. "Oh my god!", Castiel moaned, and Dean would have to wait to stand up for a while. So sue him, the guy was hot and his deep voice should be illegal. "This is amazing Dean!"  
"Glad you like it." Why where Deans ears getting hot again? Just concentrate on your burger Winchester.  
"So, that's all you've been doing?", Cas asked after finishing up his burger and making sure that Dean could not leave his seat for the next thirty minutes. At least.  
Who licks their fingers like that even?  
"I also talked to my brother again. Telling him that I would not freeze to death tonight."  
"And, did he warn you that I'm a psychopath?"  
Dean laughed: "Yeah, actually. Oh, which reminds me-"  
"Me being a psychopath reminds you forgot the axe in your car?"  
"Hey, that is for saving people out of burning buldings! And no, do you know of any flowers that bloom in winter? I thought, because you are in gardening club and everything, that maybe you could solve this mystery for us."  
"Well... nothing local for sure. Why?"  
"My nice said she made a flower bloom. I guess it's just something that got transported into their yard."  
"Yeah... maybe", Castiel frowned again and this time he tilted his head too. It reminded Dean of a bird, and he should not find that cute.  
"Don't break you pretty little head over thinking this. It's just a flower", Dean patted his stomach, "I think I'm ready for you redeeming yourself to me."

The pie was amazing. It was not hard for Dean Winchester to find every pie amazing, but these where a new kind of amazing. And they had the nice side effect of turning Cas' ears red this time around.  
Dean could not decipher this guy. It seemed like he was into Dean, but he made no real move. Sure, there was some flirting going on and the guy was obviously attracted to Dean- honestly, who wasn't?- but Dean didn't get those 'fuck me' vibes from him, like he normally did at this point.  
For fucks sake, the guy invited him on staying with him and Dean even made him dinner! It was like a twisted first date up here!  
But still... there was some electricity in the air and it was strong, but it did not feel desperate, more simmering. Vibrating just under Dean’s skin.  
Dean in this moment realized that they had just been staring in each other’s eyes for the last few minutes. Did the dude even blink?  
"What are we doing here?"  
Dean did not plan on saying this. He was just so confused about the whole thing.  
Castiel’s eyes where a special kind of blue.  
"What do you mean?"  
Dean wanted to smack him over the head for being so obnoxious. "You know what I mean. Why was there no number on my cup?"  
"I knew you would return."  
"So you wanted to give me your number."  
"Even if I wanted, I couldn't. I don't have a personal phone."  
"You are very strange, you know that?"  
"I've been told."  
Dean did not notice how they leaned towards each other the whole time. He only noticed how big and blue Cas' eyes where and how he wanted to drown in them and then there where chapped lips on his and the oceans closed up, so he did not have any reason to keep his own eyes open.

 


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up to needle sharp claws kneading on his face. He breathed in Mojo’s soft fur and the cat purred loudly. His fur smelled like the purple stuff in the men’s restroom down in the café.  
It's kinda nice. His allergies hadn't even picked up yet around the cats. Still. "Get of my face you little demon", Dean muttered, shoved the cat from his face- which gave a offended meow as it jumped from the bed- sat up and rubbed his eyes. He swung his legs over and oh yeah. That happened.  
Dean grinned at the memory of last night. Who knew that Cas made Yoga?  
He threw on his boxers and a shirt that was laying around and made his way to the kitchen. The room was filled with an herby smell, emanating from the bronze bowl, standing on top of Cas' open flamed stove.  
"Making some fancy tea over here?"  
"Something like that", the man in front of the stove replied and threw something in the bowl that Dean couldn't really identify.  
"Just because I liked your tea yesterday doesn't mean I don't need some coffee before I'm hitting the road."  
"Yeah about that...", Castiel said ruefully and pointed to the window in the living room.  
Dean moaned like he was in pain: "Don't tell me!"  
"We're snowed in. The storm picked up again in the night and I don't think there is any way of leaving town right now", Cas threw him a look, "I'm so sorry Dean. I know how much you want to get to your family."  
"Well isn't this great!", as always when Dean was frustrated, he got angry, "So instead of seeing my niece for the like fourth time of this year I'm trapped here with you and your two allergie-balls!"  
"Oh sorry you couldn't hit and run this time around Winchester", Cas said coldly, "You can still leave if you want to turn into an ice block."  
"Dude! C'mon I don't mean it like that! It's just that", Dean sighed, "I really just wish I could be with them, you know? I can't get of work that easily and they live so far away from me. I'm missing out on so much stuff. They're the only family I have left."  
"I'm sorry Dean", Cas looked a little bit guilty, "But may I ask why you don't move further to them? You know that they need firefighters everywhere."  
Dean could've said something along the lines of 'Don't be like Sammy' but he was frustrated and still tired without his coffee and he felt guilty for making Cas feel like he didn't want to be here with him.  
"It's hard to let go I guess. It's where Mom and Dad are buried. I still live in my childhood home. I've known all my colleagues for years."  
"It's hard to let things go, but sometimes you have to move on."  
Well "Now you just sound like Sammy."  
"Seems like your brother is a wise man."  
"Well, he has his life under more control than me, that's for sure."  
"Don't sell yourself short Dean", Cas left the stove and sat next to Dean, "I can tell that you're a man capable of great love. You even love all the strangers that you save. But you can't live this life on the expense of your own wellbeing. You have to ask yourself what really keeps you there. Do you come home, feeling fulfilled? Do you have a family of your own down there with your colleagues and friends? And most of all: Is it really worth missing out on so much of your niece’s life, just because you think you'd leave your parents behind?"  
"You don't know shit about parents."  
"I know that I loved the nuns that raised me like family. And I know that I was so angry when they kicked me out that I did some really horrible things the first years of my adolescence. But I had to find my place. I had to be here and make a life for myself, so I could meet you."  
Wow. "Getting a little deep here a little fast buddy."  
Castiel shrugged. "It kinda feels like destiny. I'm not a man to hide my feelings."  
"Yeah, well I'm not a man to talk about my feelings. Especially not without my morning coffee and some bacon."  
"You talk a great deal about your feelings and fears. You just don't talk them with your mouth."  
"What are you", Dean grunted, "A psychic?"  
Cas winked: "Something like that."  
A cold shudder went through Dean. He got a bad feeling all of the sudden. The last time his neck pricked like that a burning pillar crashed down on him. "Wait a moment", he narrowed his eyes at the strange man, sitting next to him, "How did you know my mom died in a fire?"  
Cas might be mysterious, but he wasn't a very good liar. "...A hunch?"  
Dean jumped up. Oh god, Sammy was right. He wouldn't let Dean hear the last of it. If Dean came out of here alive. "What the fuck man? What are you, a stalker? What do you want from me?"  
Castiel sighed defeated: "Dean, it's not that drastic."  
"Then how did you know my name? You weren't even standing close to me when I talked to Sammy!"  
The two cats had been lured near the doorframe of the kitchen by his screaming and honestly, Dean had no other option than fainting as Tabitha opened her muzzle and a very much human voice came from her: "Well, seems like you got caught."  
Everything went black.  
  
The next time Dean awakened his head hurt something awful and there was a sharp, musty smell in his nostrils. His first thought that he was in Castiel’s basement and that Sam would be so angry at him when he found that he got Dean-napped by a crazy stalker. After a few seconds though, he realized that he was back on Castiel’s bed and its owner was holding a steaming vial under his nose.  
"Sorry about your head. I wasn't fast enough to catch you."  
Dean shoved his hand away and flinched just a little bit as his head shouted at him while sitting up too fast. "What the fuck Dude? Did your cat talk to me? Did you drug me? What's going on here?"  
Cas sighed impatiently. "First of all I did not drug you. All I gave to you was something to relax you and let you open up yesterday evening", he lifted his hand, when Dean opened his mouth to protest, "Secondly, Tabitha is not really a cat. She is my familiar. And lastly I'm... well", Castiel was kneading his own bedding nervously, "I'm a Witch."  
Dean just looked at him. "Surprise...?", Cas waved with his hands a little bit, as if he just revealed a great magic trick.  
"Okay", Dean shoved him to the side to stand up, "I'm going to leave now. And if I ever see you near me or my family again, I'm going to call the Cops."  
"Dean please!" Castiel ran after him, "You have to believe me. I don't want to harm you or your family. I want to help you!"  
"We don't need any help. Especially not from a crazy person like you."  
"Let me prove it to you!" Cas had reached him and blocked him from the stairs.  
"Don't make me punch you Castiel. I'm not interested in any kind of circus tricks."  
"I'm not a fraud!" For a moment there Dean could've sworn he saw blue sparks where Cas had stomped his foot. "Just hear me out! The flower that Mary brought back to life?"  
Now Dean was REALLY pissed: "You keep Mary out of this you asshole!"  
"But she is the whole reason we've met Dean! Just let me explain-"  
That was it!  
There was an ugly crunch as Deans fist connected with Castiel’s face. "You leave us alone you fucker!" Dean screamed at the hunched figure before him, before rushing past it and running out of the café.  
It was ghastly outside. The snowflakes where as thick as Deans thumb. It even seemed like the storm got worse and worse the longer that Dean stomped through it. Soon he couldn't feel his toes. Then his fingers.  
The first thirty minutes he tried to shield his face from the stinging, wet flakes and wind, but he gave up on that. He couldn't see more than two meters before him. He just had to reach the next house with lights on. One that would actually help him and would not turn out to house a freaky stalker. It was so cold, his skin felt like it was burning right of under his clothes. And he was so tired. His fingertips were already frostbitten and everything hurt and he just couldn't do it anymore. The last thing he remembered thinking clearly was that this was what hell must feel like and that Sammy would murder him.  
  
It was the third time this day, that he woke up on Castiel’s bed. This time there wasn't a vial under his nose, but hot glowing hands roaming over his naked body.  
"Dude, your hands are glowing."  
"I'm well aware of that thank you Dean."  
"Why are your hands glowing? Why is this Lady sitting over there?"  
"You could've killed yourself Dean."  
"Don't cry Cas."  
"I nearly lost you!"  
"You were walking in the completely wrong direction", the Lady, sitting in the corner of the room said. Dean knew the voice. "Just fields that way. You would have froze to death."  
He eyed the foxy Lady, dressed in a long black dress. "Tabitha?"  
"Oh, he can connect the dots. You found a bright one Cassie."  
"Can Mojo shapeshift too? Am I still dreaming?"  
"No. To both of the questions. Mojo is just a cat."  
"Oh that's reassuring." Dean closed his eyes again. Now that the adrenaline faded from his system his body started to hurt something badly. He tried to move his hands and was surprised when he could feel all of his fingers. "Was pretty sure I lost some of these."  
"You nearly did", Cas snipped back at him, "I healed them for you. You're welcome."  
"You're a Witch." Deans eyes were still closed. He felt some kind of warmth vibrating through his body wherever Cas moved his strangely glowing hands. "And she is your familiar. Which is a cat but also a sexy Lady with long black hair."  
"I think we established all of that." Cas still sounded pissed.  
"You were worried about me", Dean was so relaxed, his voice kind of slurred, like he was drunk.  
"I was worried to death Dean", Cas' voice was shaking again.  
"Don't cry again sweetheart. You saved me."  
"I told you, I'm not a man capable of hiding my feelings."  
Even though Dean freaked out completely earlier, he now was the epitome of calmness. It may be the shock, but somehow Cas being a Witch explained so much. The plants everywhere. The strange brewing of... something this morning.  
"Where you rummaging through my brain Cas? 'Cause I have to say, I don't like that at all."  
"No, I told you, you think very loud. It's nearly impossible for me to not pick things up. You're dreams are very loud too by the way."  
"I think too loud? Well then you know that I'm sorry for punching you earlier."  
"I don't blame you. Wouldn't be the first fist I caught with my face. Won't be the last. Are you ready for hearing me out now?" Cas took his hands away from Dean and Dean mourned their loss. Without Cas' magic he felt cold again.  
"Least I can do. But uh..."  
"You want to get your coffee first, right?"  
  
They sat down in the café again, because apparently that was where the only coffee machine in the whole house stood.  
"I first found out about my magical abilities when I was around five. I was very upset about something, I don't even know anymore what it was, and all the flowers in the garden died because of me. Sister Annabelle told me to not tell anyone or let anyone see. She said the other nuns might not understand or think I was a child of the devil. Her mother had been a witch, so she knew some things she could teach me. I felt so alone and angry and misunderstood. It's why I travelled around so much in my teenage years. I searched for other people that were like me and I found some covens along the way who could teach me. But every time they said they would take me in, I ran away. I didn't want a family. It felt like such a responsibility and the pressure was just too much for me. Maybe it would have been better if I joined one of them. I couldn't really control my powers and I was so angry all the time. Because of my anger, all my abilities could do was bringing bad. My herbs were dying, no matter how much I tried to let them grow. Animals didn't search me out, but shied away from me. Of course I didn't know it was because of my bad energy, I just thought I was made that way, which in return turned me even more bitter. It wasn't long until people came to hunt me. Strange weather phenomena, dying plants, hunters aren't dumb."  
"Hunters?", Dean interrupted.  
Cas smiled sadly. "There is more things crawling in the dark than you even know about Dean. Hunters kill those things. And they wanted to kill me, before I harmed anybody."  
Dean grabbed Cas' hand. This sounded horrible. He couldn't even imagine how lost and afraid Cas must have felt. "I don't blame them. I was a ticking time bomb. That was before I found this town. Cain, the owner of this café, was a very kind man. He took me in, even though he felt how angry and sad I was. I guess he hoped he could replace his dead son. He was heartbroken when he found out that I couldn't fill the hole. But he helped such a great deal and I hope I could help him some too."  
"Are those people still after you?"  
"It happens sometimes, that one of them comes to me. But nothing bad happened. I know how to protect us. Tabitha found me a year after I came here. Twenty-two is a late age for a witch to find their familiar, but i wasn't ready till then. She helps me channel my magic and is to me the best friend."  
"I'm glad that you found your place Cas. I really am. But how does this all tie together with my family?"  
Cas was looking guilty again. "It's not an accident that you landed here Dean. I was making the storm."  
Now Dean was totally lost.  
"I... felt that there was something near. Something I had to catch. I felt its intent to pass by and... I got so distressed. I couldn't let you escape Dean. You're my destiny."  
"C-cas I..."   
"Don't say anything Dean, please. I know how this sounds. And I know that you're not as open about your feelings as I am. But you surely must feel this... profound bond that we're having. This pull."  
Dean looked into his mug. He couldn't deny it. He felt drawn to this place and to this man. "What about Mary?", he asked instead responding, "You said she is the reason we met."  
Cas smiled. "She is just like me Dean. I've felt her power for a long time now and I felt the same energy within you. I knew that you were related instantly and well... I can connect the dots as well."  
Dean didn't know what to say.  
"You don't to have to say anything", Cas said promptly. Dean had to work on his loud thinking. Castiel just kissed him again.  
"Stop", he whispered on Deans lips, "Just let it be."  
Dean didn't find that very hard when he was led to the couch upstairs. Laid out and kissed on every millimeter of his skin. Sucked down the beautiful mouth of a beautifully strange man with the bluest eyes on the whole wide world.  
  
Dean never believed in things like destiny. He believed in things like family, integrity. And, lately he started to believe that one had to take their life in their own hands.  
He stood there, looking out into his garden, and watched his boyfriend show his niece how to ripen up tomatoes with the touch of a hand. A black cat and a young girl with golden hair were sitting near them, watching.  
"It's strange, seeing Ruth in her human form. Especially thinking about how often she's seen me naked."  
"She's not really a little girl, you know."  
"Yeah, I know, but still", Sam gave Dean a beer, "Gabe's nearly ready with Dinner."  
"Alright, I'll go get them."  
When he called after the four of them, Cas blue eyes threw sparks as he smiled at Dean.  
Dean was reminded then of another thing he started believing in recently.  
Some kind of magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks!


End file.
